The former CEO of Orlen Trading Switzerland (OTS) has been detained in the United Arab Emirates, as Poland moves to extradite him to face charges related to significant financial losses. Identified only as Samer A. due to Polish privacy laws, the ex-executive is accused of overseeing contracts that led to a staggering $378 million in losses for Orlen, the state-controlled Polish energy giant, and its Swiss subsidiary.
Polish authorities have been investigating the matter since April, when it was revealed that nearly $400 million in pre-payments—largely for Venezuelan oil—went missing. The oil, however, never arrived. This high-profile case has sparked broader controversy, with the Polish government suggesting that appointments and decisions under the previous nationalist leadership of the Law and Justice (PiS) party were politically motivated, contributing to the scandal.
Poland’s Justice Minister, Adam Bodnar, publicly stated that this incident was yet another in a series of mismanagements linked to the PiS era, though the party has firmly denied any involvement.
As part of efforts to recover the funds, Orlen recently reached a settlement for $100 million of the missing pre-payments, but the company is still working to retrieve the rest.
The detainment of Samer A. marks a significant development in an ongoing case that has drawn widespread attention to governance practices at Poland’s state-owned enterprises.
